Jojo's Pandorian Adventure part 1: Eridian Blood
by Vault-Emblem
Summary: Part of Jojo's Pandorian Adventure. Borderlands!AU. Jonathan and Erina are enjoying their honeymoon until they receive a message from Dio. He says to have found the Vault, a legendary place which - it is said - contains alien techonlogy, and he requires their assistance. They are full of hope but they're also completely unpreparared for what's waiting for them. Will they survive?
1. Helios

**Jojo's Pandorian Adventure part 1: Eridian Blood**

 **Helios**

A lone spaceship is travelling through the universe, and inside two people are happily discussing.

They are both old enough to be considered adults but also young enough to be still full of hope and energy.

* * *

\- Say, Jonathan, are we there yet? -, the woman asks.

She looks like an angel, with those golden hair and blue eyes, and she definitely has the heart like one.

\- It shouldn't take long -, the man replies, - Are you tired, Erina? -.

\- … A bit, but I'm mostly excited -, she says then.

Jonathan chuckles, and Erina laughs with him. How can't she? His laughter is so contagious; she's unable to resist it.

* * *

\- Well -, he starts then, ruffling his blue hair, - Actually I'm excited too -.

\- Too bad we had to interrupt our honeymoon for this -, Erina admits.

Jonathan makes a face; he was enjoying himself and his marriage quite a bit, but well, when his half brother Dio called him from Hyperion to let him know that he had found a Vault and requested his assistance, he hadn't been able to refuse him.

So here they are, on a private spaceship on their way to meet up with Dio at Helios, Hyperion's base.

* * *

It's still weird thinking about him working for one of the biggest corporations of the entire universe, but Dio has always been ambitious – Jonathan knows that – so it's not really that surprising.

* * *

\- If we can manage to find something out about the Vault, we'll be one step closer to the truth about its origin -, he says then.

\- Yes, it'll be great for the scientific community too -, Erina replies.

\- Yeah, that too -.

* * *

Eden-5, the planet they're from, is famous in all the galaxy for its schools and universities, and Jonathan and Erina had studied there.

Jonathan studied archaeology while Erina studied alien engineering, so of course the news of a Vault had picked both their interest.

* * *

\- Hey, Erina, why don't we play a little game? -, Jonathan asks then, - I mean, we don't have anything better to do, so… -.

\- Sure, why not? -, Erina replies, - What do you have in mind? -.

\- Well, we could ask each other questions about the Vault and see who knows more -.

\- … Jonathan, is this like the tests we had to do at school? -, Erina asks, - I thought I was finally free from them, so why would you even want to do that? -.

\- I understand your point, but what if we arrive there and then… then… like… you forget something? -, Jonathan replies, - If we fail in front of Dio he'll never let us live it down -.

At the sole mention of him, Erina rolls her eyes.

* * *

Since they were kids she had never liked him and she even told Jonathan about it.

He doesn't fully trust Dio either but he still does his best to treat him with respect and he considers him a part of the family, just like his father wanted. He's just too good for a family like that, so of course as soon as she found out about Dio's call,sh insisted to go with him, so at least she'll be able to keep an eye on Dio in case he's just using Jonathan for his own gain.

* * *

\- … Fine -, she says then, - Who starts? -.

\- You, if you want -, Jonathan replies.

Erina then takes some time to think about what to ask, then she decides to start with the basis.

\- So, what's the Vault? -.

\- We still don't know exactly what the Vault is, but it's believed to be a cache of alien technology, maybe weaponry, built by an ancient population called Eridians, for purposes we know nothing about -, Jonathan replies, and to Erina he sounds exactly like a student in front of a teacher.

\- Ok, my turn now -, he says then.

\- Where can it be found? -.

\- Until now we've never found anything about its location, so we don't where the Vault is. It was believed that it could be on the planet Pandora, since there are a few findings that suggest that the Eridians had visited the planet… -.

\- Exactly, I wrote my thesis about that -, Jonathan comments.

\- … But if what Dio says it's true, the Vault is actually on Elpis -, Erina concludes.

\- Yes, but Elpis is Pandora's moon, so we're not that far -, Jonathan points out.

\- That's true -, Erina replies, - But still, there are so many unresolved questions -.

\- Hopefully we'll be able to make sense of all this -, Jonathan says, - Isn't that the reason we're here after all? -.

\- Yeah, you're right -, Erina replies.

* * *

They continue to play their "game", but it doesn't last long. The Vault is still a mystery for them, so there isn't much more to ask.

* * *

They are close now, and Jonathan tries to contact Dio by radio, but he doesn't pick up.

\- Ok, that's weird -, Jonathan mumbles.

He needs Dio to open the gates or else they can't enter inside.

He tries again but nothing, Dio still doesn't reply.

\- If this is a prank, I swear… -, he starts, but Erina interrupts him.

\- Jonathan, look -, she says, and he does as he's told.

* * *

He sees Helios – anyway who thought that creating an H-shaped base was a good idea? – but what are those little shapes near it?

After squinting his eyes a bit he understands: they're spaceships. That's weird; if someone's there for business, why not being inside?

Oh no, Jonathan quickly realises, they're not there for business.

They get closer and his worries are confirmed: Helios is under attack.

* * *

\- What do we do now, Jonathan? -, Erina asks, preoccupied.

Aren't they supposed to call for help? But who can help them? For all she knows there is no organization that guards the space.

Living on Eden-5 neither of them had ever gotten into a similar situation; they don't know how they should behave, but still they can't tuck tail and fly away.

* * *

Unfortunately, though, their time to think is over, as some spaceships start to fire in their direction.

\- They saw us! -, Jonathan exclaims, trying to drive out of the way, but he isn't no expert pilot and they get hit anyways.

\- Erina! Are you all right? -, Jonathan asks and she nods; she can't even speak.

They're losing power and Jonathan has to do something or else it's over, but what can he do?

* * *

It's then that he sees a few spaceships entering inside Helios, and that means that they have found a way to open the gate. If they have, then it means they can enter as well.

He pulls the lever and the ship starts to fly towards Helios. He doesn't have much choice: if the power runs out they'll be completely defenceless. He has to bet on his intuition – inside they can regroup with Dio, if he has found a way to save himself, and he can help them escape – and he hopes for Erina's sake and his that he's right.

They get hit again, this time on the back, but the ship doesn't stop. They're almost there, almost…

* * *

Finally they're close enough for Jonathan to see that the entrance is indeed open. They're lucky.

\- Erina! Hold on! -, he yells then and she complies.

They're going at full speed but they can't slow down or else they'll get caught. They pass the entrance without incidents though and now Jonathan has a clear view of the people who are attacking them; by their uniforms they must be Dahl's soldiers.

* * *

Why is Dahl doing this to another corporation? Attacking Hyperion is really too much for a petty rivalry; no, there must be another reason. Could it be that they know about the Vault too?

Jonathan snaps back from his thought as he hears Erina yelling; he quickly realises they're going to hit the ground, but he manages to lift their ship and to save themselves. If it hadn't been for her, though, they would have been dead.

Now the soldiers are shooting too, and their only chance of salvation is on the ground: the power is almost out; they can't be on the ship anymore.

\- I'll try to land now! -, Jonathan warns.

Erina doesn't say anything; she's still holding onto the seat for dear life.

* * *

The ship comes down really quickly, smashing also a few soldiers, but even if it's on the ground it still goes on for a bit before it completely stops.

It isn't a spaceship anymore: some parts have been completely destroyed, and that landing surely didn't do any good to its state. It starts to smoke too and it's clear that it needs to be fixed or else it'll be useless.

* * *

The soldiers wait until it stops and then, ready to fire at the first sign of movement, they slowly proceed towards it.

Nobody must interfere with their mission; whoever is inside must be killed.

* * *

 **Author's notes:** welcome to my new project, the biggest one so far: writing all Jjba's parts into the Borderlands' universe. For the people who don't know Borderlands it's a shooting game created by Gearbox. Don't ask me how I got this idea cause honestly I don't remember, but both Jjba and Borderlands are quite crazy, so I think it's a good match.

I'll try to expain everything inside the chapters or at least with the notes, so you don't necessarily have to know Borderlands in order to read this.

So, as you can see we're in space but the only planets you really need to remember are Pandora and Elpis - where this story is set. Eden-5, for example, will only be mentioned.

About the corporations, there are many but they mostly sell weapons in the game, at least some of them. In this part there's Dahl, a military corporation with an army, and Hyperion which is more about techonlogy and robots and yes, they have a H-shaped base in the game too, I'm not making this up.

About the Vault I've already told anything I can, for now. Even in the games it's not really clear what exactly is a Vault and why it's there, but I still wanted to not tell everything so that you can learn along with the characters.  
Ok, now a quick note for the ones who know the game: since Borderlands doesn't tell much about some of the things I'll talk about - like the education system - I'll make up a lot of stuff. You can also see that I'm not really following the chronological order of the games (I'm starting with the Pre-Sequel and not with the first game) and also the events will be slightly changed. Of course I won't be able to substitue every Borderlands' character with a Jjba's character especially for the first parts where there are few characters, so some of them will be gone while other will be characters from the other parts of Jjba.  
Anyway, if you have doubts or questions don't be afraid to ask and I'll do my best to reply to you. I'd really like some comments since it's the first time that I work on a story this big and I'm curious to know what do you think and also hear your advice, if you have some.

Well, that's all for now, see you next time!


	2. Under attack

**Jojo's Pandorian Adventure part 1: Eridian Blood**

 **Under attack**

A few seconds pass, then a minute. Nobody's coming out from the destroyed ship; whoever is inside must be dead.

One soldier decides to check anyways, but as he's forcing the entrance open, he's interrupted: he hears at the radio the voice of his commander, commanding every unit at the entrance to go help inside. Somebody's still resisting and they need reinforcements.

There's no time to check inside, then, and the soldier quickly leaves the place, followed by his comrades.

* * *

The metal door opens then and Jonathan walks outside, keeping the door from closing with his hands.

Erina is right behind him and Jonathan takes her hand to help her step outside.

\- Are you alright, Erina? -, he asks and she nods.

\- Have you not been there to shield me with your body, I would've… -, she starts, but she hasn't the courage to continue.

This isn't going as planned. It's too much for her.

Jonathan immediately senses what she's feeling and he takes her head between his hands, whispering "it's alright", "we're fine now", to calm her down.

\- As long as you're with me, I'll do anything to protect you -, he promises then.

* * *

Thankfully there's too much chaos and the two can pass through the corridors without being noticed.

From what they can understand by listening to the soldiers talking to each other, it appears that the only resistance left is from the Loader Bots, a special kind of technology used mostly to help building stuff; they weren't originally made by Hyperion but Hyperion made them better – or so they claim – by adding features useful for combat as well, even though they still don't have a chance against the trained Dahl's soldiers.

Could it be that all the workers are dead or gone?

Jonathan and Erina are starting to lose hope, when they overhear some orders being shouted by what they presume is either their commander or still someone important enough to give orders.

\- We need more units at the control chamber! -.

\- Somebody's still resisting! -.

\- It's just one man but we need to take him down! -.

* * *

\- Just one man, uh? -, Jonathan mumbles.

\- … Do you think it's him? -, Erina whispers, and Jonathan nods.

\- He's too stubborn to die -, he states, - Not when he has set his eyes on something -.

Well, that's true. Though she would never say it out loud, especially not in Jonathan's presence, but if there's one thing that he and Dio shares, it's how stubborn they can be.

* * *

At least Jonathan remembers where the control room is – he had been on Helios before – so at least they know where to go, but soon they already have to stop: a group of soldiers is stationed at a crossroads. Jonathan and Erina need to turn left, but as long as those soldiers are there they can't move, or else they'll get caught.

\- We need a distraction -, Jonathan whispers.

They could take another way to get to the control chamber, but now they're really close and it would take too much time to go back now. By the time they arrive, any kind of resistance that lone guy is keeping up will be extinguished.

It's then that Erina has an idea; she remembers that back around the corner they just turned around, they passed a Marcus' vending machine.

She'd never used one – she never had the need – but she knows what they do; there are two kinds of vending machines: one that sells weapons, and the one they passed, which sells ammunitions and also grenades.

She gestures for Jonathan to wait there and he doesn't even get to ask her what she has in mind that she runs off to the machine.

Of course, despite what she's said, Jonathan immediately follows her; he trusts her, of course, but he can't let her go alone like that: what if she meets a soldier? They wouldn't hesitate to kill her and she has nothing to protect herself with.

He turns around the corner and he finds her at the vending machine.

\- What are you doing? -, he almost shouts, but he still remembers in which situation they're in, so he just whispers.

\- I told you to wait for me there -, Erina replies, - You were supposed to keep an eye on the place -.

\- And letting you run off without even knowing where you were going? -, he says, - For all I knew you could've gotten back to ship -.

\- Yeah… I should've told you -, Erina concedes, - I just wanted to hurry and get this over with -.

Jonathan smiles at her.

\- Well, that's not important now -, he says, - What do you want to do, anyways? -.

\- I bought grenades -, she replies, showing him the three grenades she's holding in her hands.

\- Do you want to blow the up? -, Jonathan asks, totally taken aback by that initiative. He would've never expected something like that from her.

\- Not really -, she explains, - I wasn't thinking about that. I just want to create a diversion -.

\- Oh -, is all Jonathan can mutter before Erina takes his hand and guides him back to where they were before.

The soldiers are still there – they must be guarding the place, at this point.

Erina takes a grenade and rolls it on the ground as strongly as she can.

\- Prepare to run -, she whispers to Jonathan, who's finally understood what her plan is.

The grenade passes through the soldiers and nobody seems to notice it – could it be that they were sleepy? This isn't something to be expected from Dahl's soldiers – and it hits the wall. As soon as it makes contact it detonates, creating a big explosion.

Immediately the soldiers seem to wake up and they run to control what's going on; that's when Jonathan and Erina come out of their hiding spot and they turn left, running as fast as they can.

Somebody notices them, though, and they start to shoot in their direction but they're too far away and they miss.

Jonathan lets Erina go ahead and while he guides her by telling her where to go, he tries to shoot at the soldiers behind them; he's aiming low, at their legs, so that they would stop following them. He doesn't want to kill them.

He manages to hit a couple of them but mostly he misses: they're too far and he also doesn't have a lot of practice with guns; he learned how to use them but the only time he actually needed them was when he went hunting with his friends – something that's still in vogue from where he's from – but since he and Erina had got together he'd stopped doing that.

* * *

They arrive at the control's room; the big automatic door has been forced open and they can see what's happening inside.

Over a couple of stairs, in the same place where all the computers and panels are, there's a man taking cover and single-handedly taking down whoever's trying to come up those stairs. That blonde hair, that red scarf, Jonathan could recognize those everywhere: it's him, Dio.

It's clear that, despite his advantage, he'll be overwhelmed by the constant reinforcements.

\- We need to help him! -, Jonathan exclaims and he and Erina start to run to the stairs.

There are some soldiers there, but Dio manages to take care of them before they have the chance to do anything.

Suddenly Erina hears a bullet passing close to her hear and she screams, getting to the right; if whoever has tried to shoot had been more accurate, she would've been dead.

As soon as they reach Dio they take cover beside him.

\- Dio! -, Jonathan exclaims, - What's going on? -.

\- I thought you could tell me -, he deadpans, - They're soldiers from the Lost Legion -, he says then, getting out of cover to shoot some soldiers with his sniper rifle, brand Hyperion of course.

\- How many weapons do you carry? Please tell me you have something -, he asks then, - It could be wonderful if you could be useful, you know, with the invasion and everything -.

\- I just have this -, Jonathan replies, showing his gun.

\- … Well, that's more that I've expected, actually -, Dio comments, and still he looks a bit disappointed, then he adds, - Do you see that yellow cabinet in front of you? -.

Jonathan nods.

\- We keep weapons in storage there, take what's inside and come back here. You'll just need to push the button and wait until it becomes green -.

Jonathan does as he's been told and, careful to remain low, he reaches the cabinet and he presses the button. The light becomes green and he opens it; inside there's another gun and a shotgun, both made by Hyperion, obviously.

He's not a weapon expert but he knows some basis, and he knows that the shotgun in really powerful, but it's better to be close to the target to make sure it gets hit, since it isn't a very accurate weapon. He can't give that to Erina, it's far too risky, but he still takes it – it could still prove itself useful, right?

He comes back and gives Erina the gun he's found – she seems hesitant but she takes it nonetheless – then he turns towards Dio.

\- What now? -.

\- Do you have shields? -, Dio asks.

\- Shields? -, Erina repeats, perplexed, while Jonathan shakes his head.

\- They're used to protect people so that if someone shoots or hits them, the shield gets damaged instead -, he explains to Erina then. She had no idea such a thing existed.

\- Shit -, Dio mutters, under his breath, - You better be careful then. I don't remember if there are any cabinets with shields around, so keep an open eye for those -.

He shoots another soldier, then he adds:

\- Look, this is a lost battle, Helios is lost and we need to escape -.

\- Seems like you already have a plan -, Jonathan states.

\- I do, in fact -, Dio admits, then he explains, - I need to block the communications and then to shut the computers down, so I need you to keep this bastards at bay while I do it, then we run as fast as we can -.

He points at the door on the right, and then he adds:

\- See that? Through there we can escape and go to the launch room -.

\- What are we supposed to do, then? -, Jonathan asks.

\- We get inside a cargo ship and we get launched to Elpis -.

\- What?! -, Jonathan exclaims.

\- Dio, are you sure it's safe? -, Erina asks.

\- We use cargo ships to send supplies to other planets and nobody never complained about the state of the merchandise, although we've never put people inside, that's true… -, Dio replies, - Anyway all the other ships have been destroyed or deployed by the other employees, those cowards bastards, so it's either cargo ship or we stay here and die, unless we can retrieve the ship you used to come here -.

\- I'd say no -, Jonathan replies, - It got destroyed -.

\- Typical -, Dio says, - Cargo ship it is then -.

* * *

He starts to work at the computers while Jonathan and Erina fend off the soldiers.

Erina's doing her best, but it's clear that she doesn't have any experience with weapons. It's Jonathan the one who does most of the work, but even he can't keep up as well as Dio did. Then Erina has an idea.

\- We have to close the entrance! -, she exclaims, - If we do it, they won't bother us anymore -.

\- And how are we supposed to accomplish that? -, Dio questions, - The door is blocked -.

Erina doesn't reply directly, instead she throws a grenade at the wall above the door; the grenade explodes and the wall starts to crack. She throws the last one she has and hopes for the best. Luckily the impact of the explosion is enough to make the wall crumble, blocking the way.

\- Good thinking, Erina! -, Jonathan exclaims, shooting down the remaining soldiers.

Even Dio compliments her, as much as "I wasn't expecting that from you" can be considered a compliment.

* * *

It doesn't take long for Dio to finally be over with the computers and immediately the three of them don't waste any more time and they run through the door, then Dio closes it and blocks the little control panel besides it; in this way the door will stay blocked. If the soldiers succeed to break into the room, at least, they'll find the exit closed and they'll have to force it open, which will buy them more time.

They don't talk much on their way to the launch room, but Jonathan wants some explanation about what's happening.

\- You said before that these soldiers are from the Lost Region, but I've never heard of this organization -, he states.

\- They were Dahl's soldiers -, Dio explains, - I don't know exactly what happened but they left the army and become the Lost Region -.

\- How do you know that? -.

\- I made a quick research when they started attacking, just to know who the enemy was, but this is all I found… Wait -.

He doesn't finish the sentence, instead he stops and he turns towards Jonathan.

\- I know the tone you're using with me -, he says, - Are you doubting me, Jojo?! -.

\- I'm just saying that it's a very bizarre coincidence that they're attacking us now, don't you think? -, Jonathan simply states, completely unimpressed by Dio's show of anger.

Dio grinds his teeth. How dares he… No, he needs to calm down, or else he'll say or do something he might end up regretting later.

\- You're right -, he concedes, - I have a few suspicions that they know about the Vault, in fact -.

\- And they attack Hyperion, then -, Jonathan says, still not convinced.

Dio sighs.

\- They must've intercepted our conversations -, he replies, - So of course they'd come here -.

Jonathan's about to add something, but Erina interrupts them both.

\- Shouldn't we go? -, she asks, - If we remain here arguing, they'll catch up with us -.

\- You're right -, Dio agrees, and thus the trio starts to run again.

Jonathan still believes Dio's not telling the truth, or at least not the whole truth; as far as he's concerned the most logical explanation he can come up with is that Dio paid the Lost Legion to help with the Vault but they betrayed him – probably because they want the Vault for them. If this is really the case, though, why not saying so? There's nothing wrong about enlisting a military force the help with an expedition like that, after all Elpis is said to be as dangerous as Pandora; he wouldn't have objected and, with some convincing, neither would've had Erina.

One could argue that maybe Dio paid the Lost Legion to attack Hyperion, but for what?

No, that's stupid. Dio would never do something like this: it's far too risky, and he doesn't like taking unnecessary risks, especially if he has a goal in mind; doing something self-destructive like that would be pointless.

There must be another explanation, but for now Jonathan is content with what Dio's told him; now their priority is to escape, there's no room for anything else. This doesn't mean that he fully trusts him – he had never trusted him not even as a child – and of course, as soon as they have a moment of tranquillity he'll force him to tell the truth.

* * *

That area is so quiet it's almost unnatural. The soldiers haven't been able to get this far inside the base thanks to Dio's resistance, but the trio is still wary; after all, they don't want to get caught off guard by anything.

* * *

They finally arrive at the launch room. Thankfully there hasn't been any kind of incident along the way and both Jonathan and Erina are glad for that: they both have had enough adventure for the day.

\- So, how do we do this? -, Jonathan asks. He's no expert, but he knows that someone must turn on the launching program from the control panel, which means someone has to stay behind.

\- Go down this stairs and enter in the first cargo box -, he says, pointing down to where the containers are all lined up, - I'll join you soon -.

\- What do you have to do? -, Jonathan asks.

\- I have to arrange some things for our departure -, he just replies, before heading to the control panels.

Jonathan doesn't say anything else, and he and Erina do as they've been told. As they walk to the platform under the stairs, they give a look around; that part of Helios is so different from the rest of the headquarters: it's so grey and brown, a contrast from the bright yellow and white from the other quarters, and the green of the plants – also why are there so many plants? – and there aren't as many cabinets, boxes and machineries lying around.

It's really plain, but after all it's the launch room, so appearance isn't really what matters about that kind of place.

At least the containers look sturdy; they must be, or else the merchandise and supplies wouldn't be in a great shape when they arrive. Still, only three people are gonna be inside and there's still plenty of room left, and there aren't any security belts; it's definitely not safe but, if what Dio's told them is true, this is their only way out.

Jonathan and Erina step into the first cargo box of the line.

\- What do you think Dio's doing? -, Erina asks.

\- I have no idea -, Jonathan replies.

* * *

Time passes and Dio still hasn't joined them. What's he doing that's keeping him so long?

Did the Lost Legion get him? No, impossible, they would've heard some noise of struggle and there has been none.

What if he's selling them out? It isn't something Jonathan could put past him, and if this is the case they have to do something before it's too late, but just as he's made up his mind to go searching for Dio, here he is with his… ECHOdevice in his hand.

* * *

Ah, ECHOdevices. Everyone has one by now. At the risk of sounding like an old man, though, Jonathan isn't really fond of them: sure they can be useful to speak with someone far away, or to research something through the ECHOnet, but still he tries to use them only when and if it's really necessary.

* * *

\- What took you so long? -, he immediately asks, - And what were you doing with that? -.

\- Calm down, I was just making sure I could control the machines from here, or else I would've had to stay behind -, Dio replies, - And I also found these for you two -, he adds tossing them a pair of shields, - Put them wherever you want, they attach themselves automatically so don't worry about that, as long as it's a comfortable enough spot -.

\- Oh, so can you actually control everything from here? -, Jonathan asks, while he attaches the shield on his belt and Erina does the same.

\- Who do you think I am? Of course I can! -, Dio exclaims.

\- You might want to hold onto something, now -, he warns them, - Or else you might fall -.

There isn't much to hold on, apart from a small column at the centre of the box – probably put there to reinforce the structure, who knows – so they all hold onto that.

\- I'm starting -, Dio says, tapping on his ECHOdevice with his free hand.

If the noise is of any indication, he must've started the machines. Erina would cover her hears because the noise is unbearable, but she has no choice but to resist; she wouldn't have anything to keep her stable otherwise.

Soon the entrance of the box gets sealed and now the only source of light is Dio's ECHOdevice.

Then everything starts to tremble.

\- What's going… -, Jonathan stats, but Dio interrupts him before he can finish the sentence.

\- We're getting to the launching pad -, he explains.

In fact a crane is transporting them and then it lays them down slowly on the launching pad. As soon as it's done a robotic voice starts to speak:

\- Initiating countdown. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six… -.

\- Hold on! -, Dio yells.

Erina closes her eyes in fear.

\- Three, two, one. Launch initiated -.

* * *

For a moment nothing happens, they get launched towards Elpis at full speed.

Erina lets out a scream, tightening her grip on the little column as she feels her feet leaving the ground. She really hopes they'll make it out in one piece.

At the speed they're going it doesn't take too long before they reach Elpis' surface. The impact is so strong that the container bounces a couple of times, then it starts to roll around, making everyone lose their grip; thankfully Jonathan is able to catch Erina and to shield her from taking damage, but the same can't be said for Dio, who slams against the wall with a big thud.

When it's finally over, he's the first one to get up; his head hurts and he has to lean on the wall to not fall again. He's catching his breath.

\- Are you… All right? -, he asks then, despite not being all right at all himself.

Erina finally opens her eyes and, well, she can't still see much with the poor light they have; then she hears a groan behind her. Oh no, Jonathan!

She immediately gets up – she isn't as injured as the other two are, so it's easier for her – and she looks down, where Jonathan is.

\- I'm fine -, he manages to say before she can even open her mouth.

He tries to stand up and, with Erina's help, he manages to do so.

\- You idiot -, she tells him, - You didn't have to protect me. I've fallen on you and now you're more hurt than you could've been! -.

\- But you're safe, that's what matters -, Jonathan replies.

He smiles at her as he brushes his thumb against her lips, and she calms down, then they hear a cough and only now they remember Dio's there as well.

\- I hate to interrupt such a heartwarming moment -, he says, - But… we might have a problem -.

\- What now? -, Erina asks. Can't they just have a moment of peace?

\- Well… -, Dio starts, - It just occurred to me that, huh, Elpis' air is unbreathable -.

\- It just occurred to you? -, Erina asks, baffled, as she walks towards Dio and grabs him by the scarf he's wearing, - It just occurred to you now?! -, she repeats, now angry.

\- Erina! -, Jonathan exclaims, trying to get her off from Dio, - Calm down! -.

\- Look, I admit that this wasn't my best plan -, Dio says, - But at least we're not into the Lost Legion's grasp! -.

\- And what difference does it make? -, Erina replies.

She leans on the wall, letting herself falling down to the ground; suddenly she has no energies left.

\- We're gonna die here anyways -.

\- Erina… -, Jonathan mutters, kneeling beside her, - It's going to be alright -, then he looks at his half-brother, - I'm sure Dio's already thought of something, hasn't he? -.

\- You're lucky I have -, the other replies while tapping something on his ECHOdevice, - I'm sending a SOS signal at Elpis' radios, so if we're lucky, someone will come and get us -.

\- Won't the Lost Legion receive this from Helios? -, Jonathan asks.

\- I blocked Helios' transmissions, remember, at the control room? -, Dio replies, - They can't get any radio transmission, unless they manage to override the security, but it would still take a long time to do that, trust me -.

\- And what if we aren't lucky? -.

\- Well… let's just hope we are -.

* * *

 **Author's notes:** ECHOdevices don't exist in Borderlands. The ones in this fic are like our phones/ipads. The ECHOnet, instead, exists and it's like our internet; it always seems strange to me that the ECHOnet exists but we never see some sort of cellphones, despite the fact that there are also computers.


	3. Getting help

**Jojo's Pandorian Adventure part 1: Eridian Blood**

 **Getting help**

Nobody knows how much time's passed, but they're still inside the cargo box; none's arrived to help them yet.

It's a good thing because it means that the Lost Legion really hasn't any way to reach them, but it also means that they're likely to die there.

Erina hasn't moved from her spot; she'd cried, but now she's just trembling and sometimes sobbing. Jonathan's still with her, doing his best to comfort her with light touches on her hand, her cheek, and by whispering comforting words, even though the more time passes, the less he believes them himself. He's still hopeful, but he knows that hope alone isn't going to save them.

* * *

\- If you continue like this, we're gonna run out of oxygen even more quickly -, Dio snaps at Erina at some point.

He's renewing the SOS request but he can't concentrate will all that noise.

Jonathan glares at him and he's about to scold him when Erina mutters a "sorry", and then she takes a deep breath, closing her eyes in an attempt to calm down.

Somehow, it works. It's like Dio's words acted as a spell to make her realize than acting like that isn't going to solve anything; still Jonathan would've preferred that he'd been gentler, but at least Erina seems better now.

* * *

Jonathan glances at Dio. With the ECHOdevice lighting up his face, he looks even paler than usual, but that's not what Jonathan's focusing on.

\- You still have the scarf -, he mutters.

He didn't mean for Dio to actually hear him but he does and he gives him a quick glance before returning back to his ECHOdevice.

\- So what? -, he says then. He looks quite defensive.

\- Nothing, I was just saying -, Jonathan replies, but he can't hide a smirk.

Dio doesn't seem to notice him or, if he does, he doesn't argue, which is still a victory for Jonathan.

* * *

It's a bizarre bond, the one they share: Dio's entered his life without warning, after Jonathan's father had adopted him out of a debt of gratitude with Dio's father, who had died – Jonathan still doesn't know exactly what happened, he only knows that Dio's father had saved him from an accident of some sort – and their first moments together were the worst of Jonathan's life: Dio didn't lose any time and did his best to make Jonathan's life a hell. He took away the support of his family, of his friends; he even killed Danny, his pet skag – he denied it, and he still does, and none believed Jonathan when he had accused him, but he was, and is, sure that it was him.

Then, suddenly it all stopped.

Maybe it was because they were growing up, but they somehow managed to get past their differences and they became friends, or at least, that's what people thought.

The truth is – and Jonathan is so ashamed to admit it – that he doesn't feel any sort of friendship towards Dio. Despite what he had told his father – even on his deathbed – despite what everybody else still thinks, he doesn't.

He considers him a part of the family, and sometimes he can actually enjoy his company; it's during those moments that he thinks that maybe he's wrong, that maybe he and Dio are really friends, even brothers, but then he remembers what happened all those years ago. No, they aren't close of all.

Their relationship may seem different to external eyes, but at least for Jonathan nothing has changed.

As for Dio… Jonathan has no idea. He tried to scrutinize him, to catch even a glimpse of what he's like inside, but he's impossible to read.

He's usually friendly, but under stressful situations – like the one they're in – he becomes another person. It's like he loses control of himself, and the real Dio comes out, but of course these are all suppositions that Jonathan can't verify. Maybe he's wrong about everything, who knows – and part of him hopes he is.

* * *

His thoughts are interrupted by a loud bang on the wall; it's from outside.

\- Hey! Is anybody still in there? -, a male voice asks. It has strange accent, or at least it's strange for Erina, but she has the good sense to not say it out loud.

\- Yes! -, Dio shouts in reply, then he says to Jonathan and Erina, with a quieter voice, - I told you someone would come -.

\- How many of you are in there? -, the man asks then.

\- Three! -, Dio replies.

\- Well, you three really got yourself into an awful situation, but you've also been lucky -, the man says then, - My place is not far, and if you're fast enough we can go there, I'm Speedwagon by the way -.

\- A pleasure -, Jonathan says, and he would've continued if Dio didn't cut him off.

\- All right, it's not like we have any other choice -, he says, then he glances quickly at Jonathan and Erina and they can't do anything apart nodding.

It's true: it's either try it or die there.

\- I'm opening the door then -, the stranger says, then the trio hears a loud noise, like someone has shot the wall with a missile.

They take a deep breath in preparation for what's coming and the wall crumbles; now they can see outside and their saviour.

They can't even register his face that he's already turned away – he has a rocket launcher tied to his back – and he starts running.

\- Hurry! -, he exclaims and the others quickly follow him.

* * *

At a certain point Jonathan sees what he supposes are just some rocks moving in the distance.

It can't be because of an earthquake – he doesn't feel the ground shaking under his feet – and besides those rocks are moving horizontally, like they're alive and just want to go for a walk.

Jonathan blinks but he can still see it.

It must be the lack of oxygen, he figures out, so he looks away, keeping his gaze to what's in front of him and focusing only on his legs to run faster.

* * *

Erina's the one who's having the most problems, but she's still going. She can see the profile of what she would describe more as a hideout of some sort than an actual house: it's dug inside a little mountain and at the top she can see a big antenna. There's also some sort of forcefield surrounding the place, but Erina thinks to know what it is: an air-retaining forcefield.

"We're almost there", she continues to tell herself, desperation making her legs faster.

* * *

Luckily for them, the forcefield begins a bit before the actual entrance of the house, and when they pass it they can finally breathe again. It was close, but they've survived.

Speedwagon finally turns to face them and they can take a good look of him. The first thing that hits their eyes is a big scar that crosses diagonally his left cheek, right under his eye, and Jonathan wonders which adventure led to that.

They go through the entrance – there's no actual door, but over them they see a shutter, so it must work like a garage or something similar.

He unties the ponytail his long blond hair has been tied in and he passes a hand through them.

\- Welcome, I suppose -, he says, - Please, take a sit -, he adds then, pointing at what is probably supposed to be a working table with some chairs around it.

\- Sorry for the mess but, well, I wasn't expecting visitors -, he says, referring to the great number of mechanical pieces lying around not only on the table, but basically everywhere. It's a complete mess.

This Speedwagon must be some sort of mechanic because of the great number of vehicles' pieces – or at least that's what Jonathan believes they are – that can be seen.

* * *

\- Thank you for helping us -, Jonathan says then.

He knows that Dio would rather die than to thank someone, so it's his duty to do it.

\- No problem mate, after all I couldn't let you die, couldn't I? -, Speedwagon replies, - But now I'm really curious, what brings you here on Elpis, and even without an Oz Kit? From what it looks like you're escaping from something aren't ya? -.

\- We need to speak with the mayor -, Dio replies, - A military group has invaded Hyperion and we need to take it back -.

\- So that's what all that noise was about, before -, Speedwagon says, - We've been wondering what just happened, from down here -.

\- Who's this mayor you're talking about? -, Jonathan asks to Dio then.

He's never said anything about a mayor until now.

\- The mayor of Concordia -, Dio replies, - He's probably the only person who can grant us the means to take Helios back -.

\- Concordia? -.

\- You've never been here, haven't ya, mate? You don't even know Concordia! -, Speedwagon exclaims, but he seems more amused than actually offended.

It probably isn't the first time he's met people like them.

\- I thought you would've done some research before coming… -, Dio comments, and Jonathan looks at him apologetically, - … Anyway someone might say Concordia is the capital of Elpis, but it's actually the only city on the surface, if you don't consider all the bandits' hideouts -.

\- How many bandits are here? -, Erina asks, visibly preoccupied, which makes Speedwagon laugh.

\- A lot, actually -, he says then, and Erina looks even more in distress, and even Jonathan looks rather taken aback by that revelation.

\- Forgive them -, Dio tells Speedwagon then, - They've never left their place -.

\- Well, they're still lucky -, Speedwagon replies, - It could've been Pandora -.

\- Yeah, at least there's that -.

\- Dio, you never told us how dangerous your job is! -, Jonathan starts then.

\- Easy there -, Dio replies, - It's not that I spend all my time on Elpis and on Pandora. Yes, sometimes we go out, but we always go in group and, of course, armed -.

* * *

Silence follows that statement; everyone is lost in their thoughts.

It's Speedwagon the one who breaks it.

\- Well, at this point there's only one thing I can do -, he says, then he adds to the others, - You three wait here -, then he goes to what the trio supposes is his laboratory and he closes the door behind him. Soon they start to hear the sound of machines at work.

\- What is he doing there? -, Jonathan wonders.

\- I don't know -, Dio replies, - But I'd get my guns ready if I were you -.

\- Dio! -, Jonathan exclaims, - How dare you being so ungrateful to the person who just saved us? -.

\- This isn't Eden-5 -, the other says, - Here, the best behaviour to have is to assume that everyone wants you dead, even the people who are currently helping you -.

\- I don't care. We won't harm him now -, Jonathan insists.

\- Who do you think I am? Of course we won't! -, Dio exclaims, - I'm just saying to get ready in case he does something funny -.

\- Oh, I see -, Jonathan says then, - I thought you wanted to… nevermind -.

Dio shoots him an ugly look.

\- I'm not a Pandorian, Jojo -.

* * *

Jonathan turns to Erina, who's sitting beside him.

\- Are you ok? -, he asks and Erina nods.

\- I don't know how many times we almost died already -, she says, - But… we're still here, no? That's what matters, right? -.

Jonathan lays a hand on hers and he gently squeezes it.

\- We have to give our everything, now -, he tells her.

\- I know -, Erina replies.

\- Don't worry, you're not alone. I'm here, and I'm sure even Dio will collaborate -.

When Jonathan says his name, Erina looks at Dio, but his gaze is fixed elsewhere, on the door of the room Speedwagon's in. He doesn't seem to have heard them, or maybe he just doesn't care, but for all Erina knows it could be all an act and instead he's listening attentively.

She focuses on Jonathan again.

\- I know, thank you Jojo -, she says, - But I don't want to be a burden to you, I'll fight too -.

* * *

Jonathan's about to reply when the noise suddenly stops and Speedwagon steps out holding something in his arms. They look like some sort of triangular devices; Jonathan has no idea about what they are while Erina has actually seen a picture of them on one of his university books, and Dio also knows them well.

\- Oh, I see -, he says in fact, - These are definitely gonna prove themselves useful -.

\- You know what those are? -, Jonathan asks him.

\- Oz Kits -, Speedwagon explains, without giving Dio any time to say anything, - They let you breath even out there. You put it on your shoulder and it retains some air -.

\- It's like the force field around this place, but smaller -, Erina adds.

\- Exactly! -, Speedwagon exclaims.

\- How do you know? -, Jonathan asks to Erina.

\- Well… -, she starts, - Those books I had to study for the exams must've been good for something, no? -.

\- Though the Oz Kits need to be filled back with air from time to time or else you'll asphyxiate anyways, but don't worry, there are a lot of places where you can replenish them, such as oxygen vents, there are a lot of those, and also all the air-dome generators we've put around the surface -.

\- And how did you create these? -, Jonathan asks, referring to the Oz Kits Speedwagon has in his arms.

\- Ah, it was easy -, he replies, - I just took some scrap metal and glued it together -, he makes a pause and then he adds, - Actually, it's more complicated than that, but I'm a mechanic, sort of, so I know how to make this kind of stuff pretty well -.

He then hands the Oz Kits to the others, and they put it on their shoulders as he's told them before.

* * *

\- Thank you, Speedwagon -, Jonathan says then, - If it wasn't for you we would be dead, and now you're helping us even more, so thank you again -.

\- Oh, no problem mate -, Speedwagon replies, passing his hand through his already messy hair. He's blushing a bit, and with the addiction of the very large grin he has on his face, it gives him a bit of a childish air; Erina thinks it's adorable.

It doesn't last long though, and Speedwagon turns serious again.

\- Do you have a map? -, he asks.

\- Yes -, Dio replies, and Jonathan figures he must be talking about his ECHOdevice, then he stands up.

\- We've lost too much time, we should go now -, he says.

As much as that pause has been pleasant, Jonathan and Erina have to agree: if they don't hurry, who knows what will happen to Helios and – if Dio's assumptions are correct – to the Vault. If something goes wrong, even Elpis will suffer from it.

\- You're right -, Jonathan says as he gets up as well, quickly followed by Erina.

\- Thanks for the help and hospitality -, he says then to Speedwagon, - But we have to go, it's really important -.

\- I know -, Speedwagon replies.

\- That's why I'm coming with you -.

* * *

 **Author's notes:** I'm finally publishing this damn chapter.

University is killing me, so I don't think the updates will be more regular than this.

Finally the best character of the series is here. I just love Sppedwagon so much! Here he lives on Elpis, and by the way, in the game people on Elpis speak australian. I won't try to imitate the australian speech because I'm not familiar with it and I don't want to mess it up, but you can still imagine Speedwagon speaking with an australian accent.

I don't think there's anything else to explain, apart those strange moving rocks Jonathan sees, but that will be explained in the next chapters.


	4. Concordia

**Jojo's Pandorian Adventure part 1: Eridian Blood**

 **Concordia**

\- Are you ready? -, Speedwagon asks, his hands already on the steering wheel.

From the other vehicle Jonathan and Dio nod, then Speedwagon looks behind him, where Erina is.

\- Are you okay, miss? -, he asks and Erina nods too.

\- Then we can go -, he says then, turning on his vehicle all white and light blue to camouflage with the ice that covers the land. He drives out of the garage and he's quickly followed by Dio and Jonathan, who are on the same "moon buggy" – Speedwagon's called them like that before.

Of course Dio's the one doing the driving, being more familiar with that than Jonathan.

* * *

At first both he and Erina have refused Speedwagon's help, not out of malice or distrust, but because they didn't want him to potentially get hurt because of them but, as Speedwagon himself had rightfully pointed out, they needed help, and he also said that if they failed, Elpis wouldn't surely be safe, so he had to do something to make sure everything went well.

He then took them through a big open door which lead to the real garage.

There was a console that everyone knew very well: a console for the creation of vehicles. Amazing what technology could do now: you just have to decide what kind of vehicle you want and the colour and the machine creates it from nothing.

However, that machine was a bit different: you could also select weapons to give to your vehicle. The ones on Eden-5 don't allow it in order to maintain public security, but it's probably a good thing that it's possible in Elpis.

* * *

When Speedwagon offered to take Erina with him, Jonathan found himself not so much against it.

There's something in that man that inspires trust. Yes, Jonathan feels like he can trust him and to be fair, the other option was to let Erina go with Dio and Jonathan with Speedwagon and he wasn't going to allow that.

It's ironic, isn't it, that he trusts more a mere stranger that his half brother?

It's also a way to protect Dio from Erina though, because Jonathan knows that if they're close they're gonna argue and who knows, maybe she would slap him like she did when they were teens and he tried to kiss her…

Maybe he should stop thinking about that.

* * *

He adjusts the backpack that contains some ammunitions for his shotgun on his back. Another gift from Speedwagon.

Somehow that bag makes him feel a bit safer; it's cruel to say it but as long as they don't run out of bullets they're fine, even though he hopes they won't have to resort to violence too often, but since this is Elpis he doubts that'll be the case.

* * *

He blinks and he focuses on his surroundings. He's on turret duty, that means he's supposed to shoot at whatever tries to kill them but he won't be much useful if he doesn't stop reminiscing so much.

He's never done this but he'd rather do that than trying to drive; it's less dangerous this way.

* * *

Then he sees them again, the walking mountains, only that now they're a bit closer and he can see them better and… they seem smaller now, and they're also not mountains at all. They're some sort of quadruped animals with ice crystals all over their bodies – that's why when he saw them for the first time he thought they were just icy little mountains – and wow, those jaws seem very large too.

\- Uh-oh -, he hears Speedwagon saying over the radio, - Dio follow me, we better not get closer to them -.

\- Wait, what are those? -, Jonathan asks.

\- Kraggons -, Speedwagon replies, - These are too small to be anything more than Snowballs, but we better not engage them anyways -.

\- We can shoot them from this distance -, Erina suggests.

\- There's no need -, Speedwagon replies, - If we do, they're gonna notice us and then they're gonna attack us -.

\- I appreciate your eagerness though, miss -, he adds then, - Will be useful later -.

\- Oh, ok -, Erina replies, a bit flustered by that compliment.

* * *

She would've never believed that one day someone was going to compliment her because she wanted to shoot at something.

* * *

The rest of the travel goes smoothly which, according to Speedwagon, is a rare event: between Kraggons, bandits and Shugguraths – whatever thing they are now – surviving in the open has become very difficult.

* * *

Now they can see the profile of a city on the horizon. It's surrounded by a big forcefield, so at least they'll be able to breathe without the Oz Kits.

\- That's Concordia, right? -, Jonathan asks then, and Speedwagon nods.

\- Yeah, we're really close now -.

* * *

Concordia is really different from what Jonathan's imagined. He expected a bunch of shacks, a dirty place, but Concordia's none of those things.

It's not Eden-5, but it seems well organized. It's not just a bunch of savages like he had initially thought.

The place would've been so sad with all the grey scattered all over if it wasn't for the many lights and coloured neon signs that give a touch of colour.

At least it seems safe, and right now that's all Jonathan feels they need.

* * *

They don't waste any time – they don't have much of it and they can't allow themselves to act like tourists now – and they all go to the mayor's building. It's a pretty ordinary building; if Speedwagon hadn't told him, Jonathan would've never guessed that the mayor is there.

* * *

When they enter the first thing Jonathan notices is a little robot sitting in front of a desk.

Its shape is similar to a reverse cone, it has a little wheel underneath – maybe putting feet down there was too expensive – and at the side there are two thin robot arms, with two small hands. It has only one blue optic visor, which stands out from the rest of the body which is beige with some yellow shades, but what really has caught Jonathan's eyes is the cowboy hat the robot's wearing.

Jonathan's about to ask Speedwagon about that bizarre thing when the robot notices them and exclaims with the fakest accent the group has ever heard.

\- Howdy, partners! -.

What the heck is this thing?

* * *

Speedwagon tells them to wait there while he walks up to the desk and starts to talk with the robot.

Jonathan tries to listen to what they're saying but soon something else catches his attention.

\- Of all the thing Hyperion could do -, he hears Dio mutter in fact, and turns towards his half brother. If looks could kill he's sure that robot would've already been destroyed.

\- You know what this thing is? -, Jonathan asks then, and Dio sighs.

\- Unfortunately -, he mutters, crossing his arms. It's almost like he's in actual pain.

\- Hyperion makes those… things -, he says then, refraining himself from saying something more vulgar.

\- HL-H0R53, that's their name but… there's a bug -.

\- For some reason, and don't ask me why I'm not the one who's supposed to take care of this, but… they think they're in a western movie -.

\- In a… western? -, Jonathan asks, incredulous, - But how? -.

\- I said don't ask me! -, Dio replies, - We tried to debug them, but this is the only way they can be remotely useful -.

He sounds so sorrowful that he always almost doesn't seem himself. It makes Jonathan feel a bit sad for him.

\- Well, it can't be so bad now, can it? -, he asks, trying to reassure him then, but the look Dio gives him is enough to make him understand that yes, it can be actually that bad.

* * *

Luckily Speedwagon's back, so they can drop that topic and forget about it forever.

However, seeing the look on his face, it doesn't look like he's about to bring any kind of good news, and in fact he just stares at them and then he says, with a grave voice:

\- Bad news everyone, mayor Tonpetty's dead -.

* * *

 **Author's notes:** Kraggons are a type on enemies that you encounter in the game. There are different species, the smaller one being the Snowballs, so Jonathan wasn't wrong when he thought that they were bigger; the thing is that the first time he saw them, he saw a different species that is bigger. We'll meet them.

Yes, I've made Clap-trap Hol Horse. It's probably the most cursed thing I've ever done. The thing is that since the first two parts of jjba have not so many characters, I had to "borrow" them from the other parts, and I couldn't miss this chance.

 **Disclaimer: before Americans start to nag me about it, yes, I use hyphens for dialogues and quotation marks for thoughts. Why? Because this is how we do in Italy, the country I'm from (actually there's more freedom in Italy but this is how people usually write).**

 **Am I going to change this one day? Absolutely not. This is how I'm used to write and I don't want to change it. If I have to go through hundreds and hundreds of fanfictions where I see quotation marks used for dialogues – something I'm not used to at all – I'm sure you can all go through one story where the style is different without having to point it out every, single, time. Thank you.**


	5. Meeting the mayor

**Jojo's Pandorian Adventure part 1: Eridian Blood**

 **Meeting the mayor**

\- What do you mean… how? -, Jonathan asks, surprised by that sudden revelation.

\- When did it happen? -, Dio asks instead.

\- According to the thing -, Speedwagon starts, referring to the HL-H0R35, - It's something recent, from this morning exactly -.

\- This can't be a coincidence -, Dio mutters, looking around with suspicious eyes.

If what the robot has said is true, then it means that they might not be safe even there.

But who could ever do something so cruel? Who could ever take a life just to follow any sort of diabolical plan?

\- Now Straizo's in charge -, Speedwagon informs them, but from the expression on his face he doesn't seem happy about it.

\- Is there something wrong, Speedwagon? -, Erina asks.

\- I just… I never really liked him -, the man replies, - Never understood what his intentions are -.

Dio nods.

\- I think I met him once or twice -, he says then, - He has long black hair, dark eyes, and when he looks at you it's always like he's searching for all your weaknesses -.

\- Yup, it's him -, Speedwagon mutters.

\- But maybe we should check it out anyways -, Jonathan proposes, - We could still find out something useful -.

The others think about it for a moment, then Dio says:

\- For once I agree with you -.

\- Yeah, maybe we can corner him and make him talk -, Speedwagon adds, then he tells them to wait again and he goes to talk to the HL-H0R53. Jonathan doesn't miss the ugly look Dio shoots at the robot but he doesn't say a word about it.

He doesn't want to repeat the conversation from before.

This time Speedwagon deals with the robot pretty quickly and he gets back, saving them from an otherwise awkward silence.

\- He can receive us -, Speedwagon tells them, and he guides them to the elevator.

* * *

It's a big elevator with glass walls.

Speedwagon presses the red button beside it and its doors open mechanically.

Everybody steps in, apart Erina. She seems uneasy.

\- Do you think it's safe? -, she asks, - It doesn't seem sturdy -.

Dio's about to open his mouth – probably to say something snarky and get elbowed by Jonathan in the process – when Speedwagon speaks.

\- I know it looks scary, miss -, he says, - But I can assure you, it's fine -.

He gently stretches a hand towards her.

\- Trust me -, he says then, and after a moment of hesitation, Erina takes his hand and gets inside, and then she sighs, like it took a great physical effort for her to do it.

\- There you go -, Speedwagon says, pulling away.

\- Yeah -, Erina mutters. She still doesn't like that she can see under her feet.

Speedwagon then pushes the first button from the control panel and the doors close. After a moment of stillness, the elevator activates and it starts to go up.

Sensing Erina's discomfort, Jonathan puts an arm around her waist in order to reassure her. They lock eyes and they both smile to each other.

The ride is long – after all they're going to the last floor – and they all remain silent, thinking about what will happen.

Once they arrive, though, as the doors are opening, Dio whispers to them:

\- Have your weapons handy, we don't know if we can trust him -.

They all nod, but actually they all thought about it. At this point even Jonathan and Erina are starting to get used to how things are on Elpis.

* * *

They walk through a tight corridor that takes them to the mayor's office. The door's open so they all enter.

The mayor, Straizo, seems very busy, looking through papers of all sorts, but Jonathan recognizes that kind of behaviour; it's really similar to what certain professors did when they wanted to relax but they had to attend to their duties and listen to what Jonathan had to say regarding his thesis. He's pretending to be busy. That's really suspicious.

The mayor finally looks up to them; he seems annoyed.

\- What is it? -, he asks then.

Really welcoming.

\- We're in danger… mister mayor -, Speedwagon starts. He seems reluctant to address Straizo as mayor, but formalities are formalities after all.

\- And how pray tell are we… -, Straizo starts, but Dio interrupts him.

\- Listen, I don't know how you haven't noticed it, but an entire military legion has taken control of Helios and they want to take the Vault, and in order to do it they will destroy Elpis -, he says, not having any intention to lose time, - You have to help us getting Helios back -.

\- What are you talking about? -, Straizo exclaims. He doesn't seem to want to listen to them, - And who are you? -.

\- You heard me -, Dio replies, - Now that you're the mayor, you have to protect your people -.

Straizo doesn't even reply to him and he stares at Speedwagon, telling him:

\- What is this, Speedwagon? Is this some kind of joke? -.

\- No, this is all true. I saw it -, Speedwagon tells him.

\- Well, I didn't see anything, so you can go spread your rumors elsewhere -, Straizo says then, - I'm busy -.

\- But sir! -, Erina exclaims then, - The people of Concordia are in danger! I can't possibly believe you don't care about them -.

\- I do care about Concordia's citizens, I just don't care about what you have to say -, Straizo insists, getting back to his papers, - Now go away before I call security -.

\- But… -, Jonathan tries to say, but Dio puts a hand on his shoulder and pulls him away.

\- This is too much trouble, let's go -, he says, and he starts to walk through the exit, then he turns to Straizo, saying, - It doesn't matter, we'll solve this on our own, and everyone responsible for this will pay -.

Straizo looks up to Dio and narrows his eyes, then he gets back to what he's been doing, and Dio gets out.

* * *

\- They must be in cahoots -, he mutters as they get back to the elevator, - Either that or he's really stupid -.

\- To be honest I can't decide which one is more fitting -, Speedwagon mutters under his breath, - He doesn't deserve to be mayor -.

\- But then -, Jonathan asks, - Won't he warn the Lost Legion about what happened? We might not be safe even right now! -.

\- Mmh maybe -, Speedwagon says, - But I don't think we'll have problems for now -.

\- Why? He doesn't seem the type to give us a head start -, Jonathan asks.

\- True, but he probably doesn't want people to know that he's affiliated with the Lost Legion -, Speedwagon replies, - If they manage to get inside Concordia, people would start to suspect him -.

\- I bet people are already suspecting him for Tonpetty's sudden death -, he whispers then, - But we still better get going before things go south -.

* * *

Once they're out of the building – doing their best to ignore whatever the HL-H0R53 was trying to tell them – they hear a metallic screech coming from the loudspeaker Concordia is full of.

It lasts just for a second, but it's so loud that everyone has to cover their ears to muffle the sound, then they can hear a male voice speaking.

\- Citizens of Concordia, this is William A. Zeppeli, chief of the Lost Legion, speaking. We ask you to remain inside and not try to stop us. I apologize, but this is a necessary sacrifice to save billions of people -.

As soon as that little speech is over, Helios – that was visible in the atmosphere way before that happened – starts to move to get in position for something, then from the middle of the H – where a big circle can be seen – some kind of blue light starts to be generated.

\- Oh no -, Dio mutters, eyes wide in surprise, but he doesn't get the time to say anything else that the blue light becomes a ray of energy that hits Elpis' surface with great strength.

The impact is strong and the surface trembles and a thunder-like sound echoes.

Erina almost falls over, but Jonathan manages to hold her before that could've happened, embracing her in a protective way.

* * *

Only silence follows for a moment, then people start to scream and run around in panic.

\- Let's go -, Dio says then, paying no mind to the chaos that is surrounding them.

\- What was that? -, Erina asks, or better, yells, - I had no idea Helios could do that! -.

\- Well now you know -, was all Dio replies as he starts to get near the exit of Concordia, however Jonathan holds him by the shoulder.

\- Hold on, Dio, you're thinking about something, aren't you? -, he asks, - You've been so quiet since the elevator -.

Dio sighs.

\- Yes, I thought of something, that's why we have to hurry -, he says, then he explains, - I know what they're doing. They're blitzing the surface of the planet to get to the Vault, so we have to stop them before they crack it open -.

\- Do you have any idea about how we should do it? -, Jonathan asks.

\- … Not yet -, Dio replies.

\- For now let's head back to my place and think about what to do -, Speedwagon proposes.

\- We'll be safer there -.


	6. In search of a plan

**Jojo's Pandorian Adventure part 1: Eridian Blood**

 **In search of a plan**

During the travel nobody speaks a word.

Luckily there's no animal outside. They must've gotten scared by the blitz and they're inside their lairs. Erina almost envies them; she wishes she could do the same, but she knows that she has the power to do something to stop this mess. She can't hide.

* * *

When they get back to Speedwagon's hideout, Dio requires to be left alone: he needs some time to think and he also have to check some stuff.

Jonathan doesn't really want to leave him unsupervised, but in the end he has to agree, just because if he didn't they would've stayed there without concluding anything.

As Speedwagon conducts them to another room, he shoots a last glance at Dio; he has his ECHOdevice in hand and he can see that he's checking the holographic map.

...What does he have in mind?

* * *

Jonathan's too busy thinking about that that he doesn't notice where he's going and he slams his head against the jamb of the door.

Dio shoots him an ugly look but he gets immediately back to whatever he's doing, while Erina laughs – not in a mocking fashion though – as she takes Jonathan's hand and guides him outside, and this time Jonathan – who's still massaging his head – is able to avoid the jamb.

\- Be careful -, Erina laughs, and Jonathan laughs with her.

He then looks at Speedwagon, who seems more preoccupied.

\- Are you ok? -, he asks in fact.

\- Yes, don't worry -, Jonathan replies, smiling in order to reassure him.

\- It's not the first time it happens -, Erina says then.

\- Erina! -, Jonathan exclaims, embarrassed, but Erina's laughing and she's so cute like this that he can't stay mad for long.

\- I guess this is the prize to pay to be this tall -, Speedwagon muses then.

\- I guess -, Jonathan replies, then he adds, - You're pretty tall yourself, by the way -.

\- Oh, you think so? -, Speedwagon asks as he starts to scratch his neck while laughing, flattered.

* * *

\- Can you all please shut up? -.

It's Dio who has spoken, and Speedwagon makes a gesture to Jonathan and Erina to go with him.

\- C'mon -, he says, - I'll bring you where we can talk in peace -.

The others follow him.

* * *

They end up in what Speedwagon calls his personal shooting range: it's a room full of targets of every kind, and some of them are more distant than others.

\- I use it to practice from time to time, but now I don't get here much -, he says as he walks to the left wall, where some weapons are stacked.

He takes a pistol as he keeps talking.

\- I feel like we're gonna encounter many enemies on our way, so I thought that we could all practice together -.

\- That's a splendid idea, Speedwagon -, Erina replies, - I'd really need a hand actually -.

\- Me too -, Jonathan says, - It's been way too long since the last time I had to actually shoot at something -.

Speedwagon takes another pistol and he throws it at Jonathan, and luckily his reflexes are ready and he doesn't drop it on the ground.

\- You used to shoot at stuff? -, he asks as he walks back towards them.

Jonathan checks how many bullets the pistol has, then he gets in position to fire, deciding to start with some of the easiest targets.

\- Well, I used to go hunting when I was younger -, he replies, taking his first shot.

Eh, not bad. He's missed the centre but only by a very little margin.

\- Yeah, but he doesn't do that anymore -, Erina immediately intervenes.

\- Oh… I see how it is -, Speedwagon says, looking quite amused by that whole situation.

He gets closer to Jonathan then, and he observes him as he shoots again.

* * *

It's then that Speedwagon notices something.

\- Oh! -, he exclaims, and he doesn't even think about it as he slides his hand and takes Jonathan's other gun, the one that he's been keeping in his back pocket.

\- What do we have here? -.

He then realises what he's done and how bad it must've looked and he quickly apologize:

\- I'm so sorry -, he mutters, - I just saw the gun and… Sorry -.

\- Oh no, don't worry, it's fine, really -, Jonathan replies. His face is super red.

\- You were saying something about the gun… -, he continues then in order to change subject.

\- Oh yes! -, Speedwagon exclaims, returning his gaze on the weapon, - This must be a Jakobs, right? -.

\- Yes -, Jonathan replies, - It was my father's -.

\- Well, your father must be an expert then -, Speedwagon says, inspecting the weapon closer, - It's old but also a classic. A great revolver -.

\- Oh… Thank you -, Jonathan replies, but he's feeling uneasy.

Of course Speedwagon couldn't know about it, but bringing up his late father has brought also a few unpleasant memories to Jonathan.

He still tries to smile and take the compliment as it is. He knows the other means no harm; it wouldn't be nice if he soured the mood like that.

Speedwagon's understood that something's wrong with Jonathan anyways; maybe he shouldn't have said something, but he has an idea to cheer him up, maybe.

\- If you'll allow me -, he says in fact, - I'd like to upgrade it -.

\- Um… sure -, Jonathan replies, a bit perplexed by what Speedwagon wants to do.

The other has gotten immediately excited and he tells him:

\- Great! Wait here, I'll be back soon! -.

* * *

As Speedwagon rushes out to who knows where, probably to the same laboratory where he made the Oz Kits for them, Erina approaches Jonathan.

\- He seems fine, right? -, she asks.

Jonathan smiles at her.

\- Yeah, seems so -, he replies.

\- At least he's better than Dio -, Erina comments, making Jonathan chuckle.

\- You'll never like him, won't you? -.

Erina pretends to think about it, then she mutters:

\- Absolutely not -.

\- I still can't understand how you can put up with him -, she adds, - They should make you a statue for this -.

\- He's not that bad… sometimes -, Jonathan replies.

He doesn't like to get into pointless fights, so he always tries not to fall for Dio's provocations.

* * *

\- How can you say this after all he did to you? -.

Erina's right: what Dio had done to him shouldn't be forgiven easily. He drove Jonathan's childhood friends away, destroyed his blooming relationship with Erina by stealing their first kiss and making her so ashamed that she couldn't even look at Jonathan in the eyes – even though in the end that didn't work out, since they met again when they were older and they restarted from where they were left – and he stole all his father's attention.

He made his life a hell, but Jonathan has forgiven him anyways, or at least this is what Jonathan himself wants to believe. The truth is that he can't trust Dio, but he still tries, because he wants to believe that he has changed.

He wants to believe that he's become a better person, and this is the perfect chance to prove it.

Jonathan smiles as best as he can and tries to sound convincing as he says:

\- Everybody deserves a chance to atone -.

It's also true that it really looks like Dio has had a change of heart; sure, now he's a bit grumpy, but given the situation they're in it's understandable. This doesn't exclude the fact that, actually, since they've turned fifteen more or less, Dio has been friendlier towards him.

Maybe he has realised his mistakes and he wants to be better, or at least Jonathan hopes so.

* * *

They have to interrupt that conversation because Speedwagon runs back to them. He seems tired.

\- I made it -, he huffs then, handing Jonathan his gun back.

Well… it is different. It's way more clean than before and it feels newer. It also has a new addition: under the barrel in fact, near the trigger, there's a small blade.

\- The newest ones are all like this -, Speedwagon explains, once he's caught his breath, - So even if you're out of bullets, you can still use it to defend yourself at close range -.

\- Oh, I see -, Jonathan says, - Thank you so much for this -.

\- It's nothing, don't mention it -, Speedwagon replies, - We need the best equipment if we want to make it out alive -.

* * *

\- But now enough about you -, he says and he takes Erina by the shoulder, guiding her to the targets, - It's time for our miss Erina to show us what she's got -.

\- Oh, but I'm not that good -, she tries to protest.

\- Everyone starts like this, don't worry -, Speedwagon reassures her, - We're here to help you -.

He gets behind Erina, who has taken her gun now, and he puts his hands on her arms, helping her achieving a good position to shoot.

\- Try that one in front of you -, he says and Erina takes the shot.

She hits the target, but only barely.

\- Not bad, not bad -, Speedwagon comments, - We have time to get better -.

* * *

As Erina keeps shooting and shooting, she slowly starts to get closer to the centre of the target.

Speedwagon's still helping her from time to time, and he gives her some advice. Jonathan has gotten closer to them and he's listening to what Speedwagon's saying too.

Erina tries some other kind of weapons, but she prefers pistols; they're easier to handle.

* * *

It's when they're taking a break that Dio joins them.

\- I have a plan -, he says, and just with that he gets everyone's attention.

\- I scanned the surface around us and I found a recently abandoned ship hidden between the glaciers, and I have reasons to believe that it's a Lost Legion ship -.

\- So? -, Jonathan asks, - Now that they have Helios I doubt someone's still in there -.

\- True -, Dio replies, - But we could still get some information out of it -.

\- They must have something left there, some data, some sort of weapon -, he adds, - If we know exactly what they're after and how they want to get it, we'll also know how to deal with them better -.

Well, his reasoning makes sense.

\- Yeah, you're right -, Jonathan agrees.

The other two nod as well, then Speedwagon says:

\- Wait a second then! -.

He takes Erina by the hand, running who knows where bringing her with him.

\- Where… -, Jonathan tries to ask, but they vanish way before he could finish the sentence.

… Should he follow them?

He trusts Speedwagon, but the way he just run off… No.

He's recognized the enthusiasm on his face: it's the same he had when he modified his pistol. He's sure he's doing something to help them, or at least to help her.

* * *

They don't have to wait much as Speedwagon and Erina are back and… What is Erina wearing?!

\- If we have to run around, I thought that it would've been better if the miss had something more comfortable to do it -, Speedwagon says and, well, he isn't wrong.

This new pair of trousers that Erina is wearing instead of her tight skirt seems old; surely it had been Speedwagon's when he was younger, and in fact it's a bit large, but just a bit. Sure, it isn't something that Erina would actually wear – not with that dull beige – but it's better that risking to stumble because of her skirt.

\- So, are we ready to go now? -, Dio asks.

Everybody nods.

\- Then let's go! -.

* * *

 **Authors' notes:** Jackobs is the name of another Borderlands' Corporation that sells weapons. They're not the only one who implements blades for guns, but tbh I prefer their guns with blades better. They fit my aesthetic more.

Also yeah, I've already mentioned it already if I remember well, but George Joestar's dead here too. And yeah Jonathan's childhood is pretty much the same as in PB, but maybe I will write something more specific about it.


End file.
